Working while ill raises heart attack risk

People who never take a sick day off even when they are ill are at a higher risk to develop a heart attack. Researchers from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki used a study of 5000 British male civil servants between the ages of 35 to 55 years. They examined the relationship between sickness absenteeism and sickness presenteeism (working while ill) and the rate of serious coronary events, including heart attacks. At the start of the study, the participants rated their health as very good, good, average, or bad. The investigators analysed the men's absentee records for three years, and documented a first heart attack or serious coronary event occurring after three years. No absence from work was associated with double the risk of coronary event among participants who rated themselves as unhealthy. This risk remained high even when coronary risk factors were taken into account. The incidence of serious coronary events is twice as high among unhealthy employees with no sickness absenteeism as among unhealthy employees with moderate levels of sickness absenteeism probably reflects the adverse consequences of working while ill. This risk was not explained by baseline differences in conventional coronary risk factors, but it seemed to relate to lack of short-term periods of absence. Physicians, employers, and employees should be aware of the potential harmful effects caused by sickness presenteeism.

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